Phantom of the Masquerade
by Serena Thorn
Summary: It's that time of year again, the Policeman's Masquerade Ball. Veronica's convinced to go, never knowing she would be left to wonder just who one particular masked man was.


Title: Phantom of the Masquerade  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: It's that time of year again, the Policeman's Masquerade Ball. Veronica's convinced to go, never knowing she would be left to wonder just who one particular masked man was.  
Spoilers: minor S3  
Characters/Pairings: Veronica/Lamb, Keith, Sacks, Cliff, mentions pretty much everyone else who's been in the Sheriff's Department.  
Word Count: 4212  
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I'm simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.  
A/N: Set during an AU season 3 in which you-know-what never happened to you-know-who. 

* * *

When Keith had first mentioned the annual Neptune Policeman's Masquerade Ball, Veronica had thought for certain she wouldn't be going within five miles of the Neptune Grand that night. She had liked them, somewhat, when she was younger but they had kind of lost their appeal since her father wasn't the sheriff anymore. Back then being able to get all dressed up, maybe share a dance or two with a cute deputy who didn't know a fourteen and fifteen-year-old was behind the mask had made it worth her while for those latter Sheriff Daddy years.

Her original plan of forgoing the ball long since demolished, now here she was in front of her bathroom mirror, inspecting her reflection as she stood dressed in a mostly form-fitting, full length, dark red gown and tightly laced corset. Mardi Gras was long over, but it didn't seem Neptune had gotten the memo. Tonight was their masquerade, their very own 'Come as you aren't' night.

Sliding her black and silver-glitter eye mask over her face and fitting it into place while being mindful of her perfectly done hair and make-up, she couldn't help but smile a little.

Despite her petite frame and long blonde waves, she doubted most of the people there would recognize her. She couldn't claim to mind, after these last few months with everything to do with Hearst an escape, even if just for a few hours tonight, was exactly what she needed. Between Landry and the dean and the rapes and Piz, she needed the night off.

Okay, she could use more than a night off but she knew to take what she could get.

"Are we ready?" Keith asked as he stood from the sofa in his dark suit, purple cape, gold-glitter eye mask and black top hat.

"Looks like," she smiled a little uneasily. Really, she had guessed they had only gotten the invitations through a mix-up. Or Inga had just felt it wouldn't be right to not have them there. Either way, it was a fundraiser so she knew the town would decide their money was as good as anyone else's. Still, if Lamb knew he might have a coronary, Veronica mused. But then it was a masquerade ball. She was sure even he wouldn't recognize her tonight.

The second she and Keith walked into the ballroom of the Neptune Grand, Veronica couldn't help but be a little taken aback. Everything was black, white and gold as far as the eye could see so far as the decorations went.

The masks were in every color and of nearly every animal or beast imaginable and all of the men had abided by the black-tie rule while the women's gowns impressed even her. Black and gold were certainly the most favored colors of the night, but darker reds, purples and blues weren't difficult to spot either.

Keith headed off to the buffet to talk with a few people he already recognized so Veronica decided to use her own observational skills to see who she could spot within the thick crowd.

Cliff was almost too easy in his tux and black eye mask as he chatted up the department's new weekend receptionist. The girl herself had opted for one of the handheld masks that she currently had down at her side, so much for anonymity.

With a shake of her head, she glanced around again and spotted who she figured was Deputy Sacks. He was the right height and looked slim enough, and seemed to be the only one wearing a mask that covered everything but his eyes - if you were looking - and his mouth and chin. That was enough to convince her since none of the other men she could see seemed to have moustaches.

Next came the slim, silver-haired DA who had gone over to talk to her father, she had seen the new mayor and his wife when she and Keith had first walked in. Veronica almost felt she should have been keeping score when she noticed Inga and another few deputies she had seen around when Lamb had last arrested her.

With that she let out a soft sigh and headed off to get a soda. There were plenty of people around, she was sure someone would start talking to her or ask her to dance sooner or later. And if not she could hang back and privately laugh at how many of the deputies just couldn't dance. Neither could Vinnie for that matter, now that she had seen even he was there.

"It's a party, Veronica, try to have fun," Keith stated when he caught her lost in thought at the end of the buffet another ten minutes later. "Just not too much."

_Fun? Even if I'd wanted to invite Logan there's no way that would have worked. Not with this many cops, half of which have gotten all too used to seeing him behind their lovely steel bars._

She stole another glance at the doors in the hope she could leave without anyone missing her. She had come, she had seen, she was over it.

At least until her curiosity kicked in at the sight of, apparently, the man who had just walked in. Her only clue really was that this person was tall and lean and dressed in a suit. A black suit half-hidden by his black cape, his hair - if he had any - hidden beneath his large black hat and a full black and gold mask that hid all but a very small portion of his jaw line on either side. Ever the investigator, she made a beeline straight for him.

She had tried hard to disguise herself tonight, he could tell that right away. But the way she was walking, how she moved, those blonde waves of hair bouncing behind her through her strides, there was no doubt who he was about to be faced with.

"Nice costume. Sacks?" She was still sure she had spotted him in the crowd, but this was the only other man who had tried to conceal his whole face so the possibility was clearly there.

Don shook his head, smirking behind his mask. Finally he had found a way to keep her guessing.

"Logan?" she asked just above a whisper. This man seemed a little taller but he could have been wearing boots just to confuse her and or anyone else.

Don took a deep breath then to keep himself from revealing his identity with his usual scoff of disgust. Instead he shook his head again.

He couldn't be Cliff or the others she had seen earlier. She was sure she had seen Lamb already, the tall dark- haired guy in the gold three-quarter mask with the devil horns at the top who she had last seen in the corner with some hoochie. It stood to reason, she decided. With that she was out of ideas. Unless, somehow - "Leo?"

"I'm afraid you only get three guesses," he told her, careful to lower his voice an octave and drop as much of his even subtle drawl as he could just to keep her wondering. "But I'll allow you another chance if you wish."

"Oh?" she smirked, the curiosity gnawing at her then.

"Dance with me," he stated as he offered his hand.

"Aren't you worried who might be lurking behind this mask?"

He shook his head. "I would worry more about who your father is."

"I don't think he's armed tonight," she smirked as she took his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.

"And you, Miss Mars?" he asked, wanting her to know he could see through her disguise. After all these years it was nice to be able to say that literally.

That time her head dipped as the stun and slight embarrassment crossed her features. Just how well did this man know her? He didn't sound like Sacks, but the more she thought about it the more sense it made. Except he had said he wasn't him. Was there anyone else at the sheriff's department that knew her that well? Or was this someone from Hearst? He didn't sound like Piz but she was quickly running out of suspects.

"Not tonight, I didn't like how it affected the cut of my dress," she stated as she looked back up at him, finally able to focus on his blue eyes.

Keith watched as his daughter crossed the floor with her partner and he couldn't tell any more easily who he was. His clothes and mask covered nearly every inch of him so he could only hope to recognize some way that the man moved. Especially if he got too close for his comfort to Veronica. Though he could tell she was smiling still as they spoke, he hoped that meant she knew him but he knew he would be keeping his eye on them anyway.

"I didn't figure you for this kind of scene, Piz," she tried, hoping to lure something out of this mystery man.

"You're 0 for 4," Lamb smirked from his mask once more. He knew he would never be able to conceal it any other way than with a full mask which was exactly why he had grabbed this one the second he saw it and let Sacks take the other. Jones had taken the three-quarter golden devil mask and he had grinned all the while at knowing half the people in the would think he was him. So far his plan was going perfectly.

No one knew he was there, he had intentionally shown up late for that purpose. No one knew just which costumed man he was should they presume he was there and he had the exact girl he had come to see dancing with him and so far, despite her usual investigative prowess, she had yet to even suspect he was him.

"I won't stop guessing," she challenged. "You know who I am. It's only fair."

"But through this sea of smiles, yours is hardly unrecognizable."

"Says a man who's not letting his be seen."

"You are somewhat of a local celebrity and you could have chosen to hide more than you have. And this is a night for fooling any friend who may know you. Why not take your fill of the spectacle surrounding you and enjoy the merry-go-round of all these paper faces?"

With that Veronica forgot to make a crack about the obligatory paraphrasing of songs from 'Phantom of the Opera' because by then he was spinning her and she had started laughing as she got swept up in the moment. The man had a point, not to mention some skills on the dance floor and apparently some vague knowledge of at least one song from a musical…

For nearly an hour they were lost in their own world, not even noticing the several costumed, masked couples surrounding them even when they would nearly bump into them.

Keith might have interrupted himself if not for the increasing crunch of people and the fact Veronica seemed to know him. Surely she wouldn't be this comfortable dancing with a stranger? He presumed himself that it was a friend of hers, which would explain the full mask if the boy didn't want the officers there to know he wasn't a member of law enforcement. To be fair, it could just as easily be Leo, who would also have reason to not want to be seen by his former co-workers.

When the next song change came, Veronica felt her partner release her and when she looked quizzically up at him, he told her, "As much fun as I've had tonight -"

"The ball's not over for another couple hours," she reminded him, wondering why he wanted to leave already.

"The others don't have to be at work as early as I do in the morning," he told her, his real voice creeping in with his honest disappointment at the fact. He wanted to quit while he was ahead, to leave while she still liked him. And if he was really lucky he would manage to make it out of there without having to give his usual speech or glad hand those he wanted to avoid.

"Goodnight then. Maybe one day I'll finally solve this mystery."

"I'd expect nothing less," he winked before turning to head out through the doors of the ballroom.

Veronica sighed as she watched him go, his cape gently fluttering behind him. "Who was that black and gold masked man?"

"Veronica - ?" Keith asked when he made his way back to the buffet table just a moment after her.

"Hey, Dad," she smiled to him as she poured herself a soda.

"I saw you dancing earlier. Who - ?"

"I don't know," she admitted with a soft laugh. "But I'll find out. One way or another. I guess at least I can be comforted in knowing I know who it wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Sacks is around here somewhere, at least I'm pretty sure I saw him with that black and white mask that covers most of his face so he can hide the moustache and last I saw, Lamb had some half-drunk girl hanging off of him."

"Lamb? Veronica, Lamb hasn't been here tonight. Or if he has been he's got a better disguise then anyone else here. People have been looking for him all night since he's the sheriff and, by definition, would have to be here but -"

"I saw him, the devil mask, the gold one…" she went on as her eyes scanned the room for that mask again. Only her jaw dropped slightly when she saw that mask resting atop the head of the man wearing it. And that man was anyone but Sheriff Don Lamb.

_Better disguise then anyone else here? Yeah. You can say that again._

"Sounds like you made quite the impression," Cliff sighed as he walked up beside Lamb while he waited for the valet to come back with his car.

He turned to that familiar, deep voice. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"

"Someone might have more or less quoted Zorro as she watched you leave."

Lamb chuckled. Sounded good to him. "She'll figure it out soon enough."

"Then why are you leaving?" Cliff asked with a raised brow before taking a sip of his drink.

Lamb sighed. He had wanted to leave before she hated him all over again, before this incredible night could come crashing down. Now? Now he just wanted what he had gotten tonight. Veronica's smile, at least some of her trust - likely by not having stepped on her feet a single time - her laughter with him as opposed to at him, the chance to prove to her he wasn't as evil as she often chose to believe… the list went on.

With that Lamb waved off the valet, slapped Cliff on the arm with a smile and headed right back inside. He spotted his prize right by the buffet table, still talking with Keith. He didn't even stop to notice it was his former mentor before taking hold of Veronica's hand and in her surprise, almost too easily leading her back to the dance floor.

Veronica couldn't even stop to think that this could in fact be her favorite nemesis, she was actually too happy to see that the man she had enjoyed talking to and dancing with for the last few hours was back. Maybe she wasn't certain who he was one way or the other, but she had enjoyed her time with him tonight and right then she was thankful it didn't seem to be over. One way to find out if she was right about her suspicion though, she knew.

"Welcome back, Sheriff," she finally smirked when she had regained her breath after the next slow song began.

"What gave me away?" he asked in his real voice before he smirked back at her despite the knowledge she couldn't see it.

"I thought Jones was you until my dad proved me wrong."

"Surprised you think I need a mask with devil horns."

"I'm convinced your spiky hair's just a way to hide your real ones," she shot back.

He laughed. "And you're still not running out the door. Works for me," he grinned as he held her closer to him.

"Dancing, exertion, endorphins, body coursing with sugar. I'm not in my right mind," she countered.

That time he slowly lowered his mask for her to see he didn't believe her.

Veronica shook her head. Bastard. It really was him. That knowing smirk, the mischievous glint in his perfectly blue eyes. She wanted to hit him, she really wanted to hit him, but she knew better. No way was she going to prove he had gotten to her that badly.

Putting his mask back into place, he asked, "So does Keith know Jones isn't me?"

"Yep," she nodded.

"And he hasn't threatened me or my anatomy yet? I'm impressed."

"You haven't left me alone long enough for him to. Just wait. I'm pretty sure he'll drop by the station tomorrow for a little chat. Probably ask what your intentions with his daughter are, why I'm the only one you've talked to all night…"

"Easy, I see everyone else here more than enough. And they'll leave me alone so long as I'm with you. Some fearless deputies they are, they're somehow scared of little you."

She laughed. "And since when aren't you?"

He leaned into her and seductively whispered, "Maybe since you wouldn't stop touching me tonight."

"I didn't know you were you until you left."

"So you claim," he smirked. Holding her closer and bringing his voice down again, he asked, "Just how much do you want to take me upstairs right now and rip this costume off of me?"

"How much do I want to expose you and show your lovely co-workers that you are in fact present at this evening's social event so they'll take you off my hands? About a 9.5. Wasn't there some speech you were supposed to make or something?"

"Nothing they haven't heard before," he shrugged.

"That's what I love about you, Lamb, always so original," she grinned sardonically.

"And here I thought you just loved the way I move," he grinned back before he lifted her arm and twirled her around before bringing her back against him, lowering her arm around her tiny waist and nuzzling just slightly into her neck.

Given the sheer number of witnesses, most of which she knew, Veronica wasn't amused and thrust her hips backwards to connect with his. Lamb groaned more in surprise than pain, knowing he should have expected her to go for the crotch shot. Of course given that it was her ass connecting with him, well, he couldn't completely complain.

"Careful, Mars, I might take that as an invitation," he told her a moment later when he had finally twirled her back around to face him.

"You would, wouldn't you?" she scoffed, unable to believe she was even partially surprised by that.

"I didn't tell you to back into me," he grinned.

"Was this your plan? Come to the ball in full disguise just to dance with little me?" she asked with a dreamy sigh.

"I thought we went over this. You scare the others, I'm trying to avoid the others."

"So that's a yes," she replied with a wide smile, lacing her arms around his neck a second later.

Lamb glanced over to Keith who clearly believed he was being so coy by staying five couples away and watching them in the floor to ceiling mirror across from them. "Daddy's watching."

"You scared?"

"Of Keith Mars?" he scoffed. The truth was hell yes he was, but he would sooner meet the receiving end of Keith's shotgun then admit it. Especially to the girl he already had his arms wrapped around. "What about you? You know he knows, he's watching us dance -"

"He told me to have fun. Irritating you always is."

He laughed. Finally she admitted it! "If I take this mask off again I just might do something I doubt he'll want to see."

"Because a man sweating like a pig from behind a mask is such a hard thing for a gal to resist," she snarked.

"I'd be sweating less if I was out of this get-up," he murmured against her ear.

_Second proposition of the night? Seriously?!_ Veronica was almost impressed, though she guessed he felt bolder thanks to the anonymity his costume offered.

"I'm not stopping you from going home and lounging around in your underwear," she finally told him.

Lamb needed air, this was finally getting to be a little much even for him. With a sigh, he raised his hat and then his mask again before finally lifting it off.

"You okay?" Veronica asked, genuinely a little concerned.

"Yeah, I wasn't kidding about the heat behind that fraking thing. Just got hotter then I expected," he answered with a shake of his head before putting the band of his mask over his wrist and returning his arms around Veronica, who surprisingly didn't seem to mind.

"Well there goes my claim that I didn't know it was you to anyone who isn't my father."

He chuckled. "I'm not stopping you from walking away now that people are going to know you know."

She shrugged. "Who'd believe it? It's not like we haven't heard the rumors. And I blame your deputies for every single one."

"Implying you don't mind fueling them?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head and quirked brow.

"I'll let you draw your own conclusion to that one, Deputy," she smirked.

Just like that the temptation to kiss that smirk off her lips was becoming too great to resist and he had only just begun to bend his head down to her when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and knew the only person it could be.

"Veronica, do you think you're about ready to go? After all, we have such a busy day ahead of us at the office tomorrow," Keith stated, attempting to ignore the younger man to his right.

After a few good blinks, Veronica managed to return herself to reality. Had Lamb really been about to kiss her? Was she really about to let him?! And why did she suddenly really want to find out?

"Um, yeah, I guess," Veronica answered as she took her arms down, only glancing to her father.

"And, Don, I guess it's about time you make that speech of yours. Sheriff's duty and all that? Shaking hands, thanking people for donating to the fundraiser? After all, that's what we're here for. The fundraiser."

Don gave a self-conscious smile to the older man. "Yeah. The glamorous part of the job. Have a good night," he told them just before he headed off.

"Do I want to know why you chose to spend your night with Lamb?" Keith asked as he steered his daughter towards the exit.

"He was hiding from the people he didn't want to see," she sighed. "He said the same people he didn't want around are scared of me so he figured he'd suffer my company to keep them at bay. Guess it worked."

After that the ride home was a quiet one, for which Veronica was thankful. She wasn't exactly up for being interrogated by her father as to what tonight was or meant. To be honest, she really didn't know. For the first time in years she had enjoyed her time with Lamb, hadn't even minded dancing with him when she knew he was him and then there had been that almost kiss… That almost kiss she knew she would be taking the 'almost' out of the very next time she saw him - when witnesses weren't present.

When he got home, Lamb noticed something in the knocker on his front door that he most definitely didn't remember being there when he left for the Masquerade Ball. He knew he wasn't behind in his rent so he doubted it was anything to really worry about. Still, he unfolded the piece of paper and read what was written.

_If you're the Phantom of the Masquerade, does that make me Christine? You knew I'd figure it out, but I bet you didn't think it'd be so fast or that I'd even beat you to your place. One guess as to where I am -_

_V._

Lamb headed into his apartment with a smile. It wasn't a question how she had gotten in, maybe she hadn't been armed tonight - a claim which he hadn't believed for a minute - but he was sure she had had more than enough time to grab her bag and lock picks.

"So, Lamb, ready to pass the point of no return?" she grinned from her seat up against his headboard, still fully dressed, as he walked into his bedroom.

It was a horrible line, not to mention way too obvious, so he laughed. But he didn't keep her waiting to figure out his answer was yes.

The End


End file.
